Contact

Thank you all for contacting me with your questions and comments by writing to my email address and in the comments sections of posts. I try to answer all the questions that I can.

I am always looking for more natural treatments for sinusitis. But I would also like to know: How has it turned out for you? Has Lactobacillus sakei or another probiotic helped?

And please let me know if you've had additional problems such as sinus operations, nasal polyps, a fungal problem, diagnosed with antibiotic resistant bacteria (for example: Pseudomonas aeruginosa), etc. All this adds to the knowledge base of what works or doesn't for sinusitis problems. I will keep updating sinusitis pages and posts, including The Best Probiotic For Sinus Infections, with new information.

I am also available for consultations if you have lots of questions or want to discuss some topic in depth (not just sinusitis). Check the CONSULTATIONS page for more information.

76 thoughts on “Contact”

I also read the article about the Lacto sinusitis treatment with much interest, as I've suffered with it for over 20 years. During this time I took countless antibiotics and only got worse. I decided to purchase it from chr-hansen. Unfortunately, it also contained another organism, but I was desperate and unable to find it "pure." I mixed very small amounts into my Neti pot. Within about 48-72 hours of using it (1x per day) my sinusitis was much better. In less than a week I was cured! Now I take a maintenance dose about once every 3-4 months (I need it about 3-4x per year if I catch a cold) and I'd say I'm 95% better than I was before. Amazing that I'd taken all those antibiotics over the years and likely just made the problem worse. Glad you're getting the word out and thought I'd just share my testimony!
-Greg

Greg, I've looked at the Chr.Hansen site and can't figure out which fermented saugage starter you may have ordered. I see there are several types. If you read this, can you share which one you ordered, please?

I've been pretty satisfied with the kimchi treatment but I am interested in trying this too.

Ursula: Perhaps this helps. I've just heard from someone that they recently ordered the Lactobacillus sakei with Staphylococcus Carnosus (called Bactoferm F-RM-52) at the http://www.sausagemaker.com/ site and yes, that it successfully treated their sinusitis.

I am in Germany for another month and was wondering if you have heard positive reports from people using these German made products. If not I may just wait until I return to USA where the kimchi brand you recommend is available. Thanks so much. Your website is giving me hope.

The L. sakei products (Bactoferm F-RM-52, B-2, etc.) mentioned in the post The One Probiotic That Treats Sinusitis are made by large international companies - so the products should be the same where ever they are purchased. Any supplier (in Germany etc.) is (probably) buying from these big companies. I do know that Chr. Hansen has a good reputation, and the main company is in Europe.

Hi - great site on sinusitis!
I've been independently experimenting with kimchi too and am very happy to see all the work you've been doing. Dealing with a horrible sinus infection a couple years ago, I also started looking for L. sakei. When I found it was in kimchi, I began eating it and also cautiously dabbed it in my nostrils. I use one with no MSG in it but it does have shrimp. It was all I could find so I went with it.
It didn't hurt and probably helped. I eventually quit using it as the spices irritate my nostrils. (after ~ 8-10 months, I think)
I was also doing a lot of other things like taking quercetin and flushing with xylitol, baking soda, and salt. I eventually cut down the quercetin due to its effect on blood clotting.
I recently became infected due to grass allergies but fought it off > then all the fires and smoke out west hit > then, school started and all the students brought in viruses. So, I've been slammed and not doing well.
From seeing your site, I'm now going to restart the kimchi treatment. And also decrease some of the nasal flushing. I have a deviated septum, so left side is the one always causing problems.
Thanks for your help - I'm checking into the sausage company for L.sakei too.
Keep up the good work. Hoping they will soon have a bacterial spray available commercially.
best, becky

Thanks!
From my experiences I think L.sakei is fragile and easily killed off. If you retry kimchi - keep in mind that it may only be in an opened kimchi jar less than a week, and the L.sakei may only be found in certain points during fermentation (in the brand we use: from about 14 days after bottling to no more than 2 or 2 1/2 months). If it works, you may feel some improvement within 8 hours - but definitely by the next 2 days.
Two of my family still do daily saline flushing (salt, baking soda, water)even though feeling great, while 2 of us stopped that months ago because we thought it might somehow not be good for the sinus microbiome. So who knows?
You mention Xylitol - perhaps since it is used to kill bacteria, it may also kill beneficial bacteria.
Hope you're feeling better soon!

Are you taking one drop of Klaire Vit A each day to help your immune system fight off what those kids bring you? It is hard to find but readily available from Natural Healthy Concepts in Wisconsin (920) 968-2360. And stay away from the hand sanitizers!

I have been suffering from continuous chronic allergic phlegms which caused by, i guess, the chronic Rhinosinusitis. I do no have any of itchy or sneezing, or coughing problems, but this excessive sticky post nasal drips killing me.

I found this web site when i search for L. Sakei, and glad to know that Kimchi contains it. Kimchi is my daily diet, but i never tried it on my nostrils. I will try it. Also, there is other Kimchi made from radish, not the cabbage. It is called GgakDooGee. I heard it's soup contains good probiotics too. I have tried many other homeo methods...but do not feel well. Doctors did not help much with my allergy...and the antibiotics ruined my immune system, which i belive strongly.

I am allergic to most airborn allergens by the skin prick test.
Do you have allergy problem too?

I will update if my experiment shows some improvement, and if i still survive from this horrendous continuous phlegms. Thanks for your efforts.

I do have allergies (mold, oak, birch), but unfortunately the L. sakei has not helped them. But the L. sakei did successfully treat the postnasal drip and other problems from sinusitis.
And yes - please let me know how your experimentation turns out. Good luck!

Sorry that happened to you. I think that both times the products you tried did not contain Lactobacillus sakei. As I've mentioned before on this site - only some people had success with the L. sakei product (Lactopy) from Korea. Something on its trip from Korea is killing it off.
Kimchi is a bit tricky - if L. sakei is in the kimchi - it'll be from about day 14 to about 2 1/2 or 3 months of fermentation. And you would know - because the results are all good with NO boils. The L. sakei is dominant against sinus causing bacteria.
Another possibility is the sausage starter culture Bactoferm F-RM-52, which contains Lactobacillus sakei and Staphylococcus carnosus(made by the Danish manufacturer Chr. Hansen and carried by sausage making suppliers in the U.S.). People have been reporting success with this product (see the first few comments on this page for more details).

I've been posting links to the main sinusitis research done by Abreu et al (from 2012)from the beginning. Especially please see the December 4, 2013 post Rethinking Chronic Sinusitis, the Sinusitis Treatment page, and in my June 5, 2014 post "Probiotics and Sinusitis" an article by Dr. Susan Lynch about the sinusitis research and the role of Lactobacillus sakei.
I know that the original researchers are currently working on a nasal spray with L. sakei and other microbes, but testing etc. is a very lengthy process.
I don't have one specific link to the Korean research, but overall the journal articles I looked at said that at varying times during fermentation the Lactobacillus sakei was present (but generally from about week 2, and that after a lengthy period of fermentation it died out). We (my family)through trial and error arrived at the day 14 to 2 1/2 to 3 month period for the brand of kimchi we used. I explain more in our Sinusitis Treatment page.

Sorry to hear how you're suffering from post nasal drip. Sinusitis sufferers generally have post nasal drip,but yours sounds extreme. Based on my experiences and what you describe, I truly do not think you had L. sakei in that batch of kimchi. We (and others) found that when L. sakei is present there is improvement (or all sinusitis symptoms stop getting worse) within 1 day. Sinusitis post nasal drip does not get worse with L. sakei, but improves.

I would also like to add that we may use the non-prescription medication Mucinex (the 12 hour tablet with 1200 mg guaifenesin) when we are suffering from post nasal drip when we have sinusitis. This has helped us with that gagging feeling from post nasal drip. Mucinex is considered a phlegm or mucus thinner which doctors originally told us to try.

I just started using the kimchi procedure yesterday and have used it twice so far. I woke up today with looser sinuses, and my top teeth no longer hurt! I noticed a difference right away. But I've also noticed more postnasal drip this morning. Could it be that things are clearing out and it will get better soon? I noticed you said PND shouldn't get worse. Thoughts?

I'm the guy In Alaska who has been using Lactopy successfully. I have sarcoid, and the sinus infection creates an extreme autoimmune reaction in my eyes, lungs, and heart. I haven't been able to procure Lactopy from my former supplier (djprostores) from Korea. I contacted Dr. Lynch's assistant who advised me to try other Lacto probiotics, and along with your advice on taking the Bactoferm (which also somewhat stimulates my sarcoid even in small amounts) I am getting along until I can find a way to procure Lactopy again. Your website is great, and I am going to start making Kimchi this week, and have been given some locally made organic vegetarian stuff that I am also using. Its a shame there aren't doctors treating with this stuff, even the naturopaths up here have no knowledge.
Thank you,
David

Anybody know if the brand "farmhouse culture" has this particular strain of beneficial bacteria? Thats the ONLY brand that all of my local health food stores carry. Is there a website to order the kimchi that you used and would they deliver it on time and on ice to ensure the life of the bacteria? Im on day one of using this kimchi. I have been using qtips and soaking the cotton bud tips in the juices and then applying it to the inside of my sinuses as best as I can tolerate it. It burns. How far up do you put it? Can you simply put it just inside the nose in the nostrils area? Thank you.

No one has mentioned that kimchi brand to me so whether it has L. sakei is unknown.
We ordered Sunja's Medium Spicy Cucumber Kimchi from their online site for the first time this summer (2 day shipping) because my local store stopped carrying it, but it was not refrigerated during shipping, was very warm from fermentation, and unfortunately some leaked out from each jar. So far one jar had good L. sakei levels, but so-so in another jar.
When treating sinusitis, we dabbed/smeared the kimchi juice along the insides of each nostril (about 1/2" into the nostril) - that's not deep. And the bacteria traveled on its own to the sinuses. So perhaps "simply putting it just inside the nose in the nostrils" will work just fine. It's self-experimentation to see what works and feels best.
UPDATE (Nov. 2015): I recently ordered another case of the cucumber kimchi from Sunja's and this time there was zero leakage of kimchi juice from the jars.

Alright thank you, I honestly feel this kimchi may be working since my post nasal drip seems to be subsiding..... Interesting. I have also been using baby shampoo and manuka honey in my nasal rinse to break down the antibiotic resistant bacterial biofilm and I feel less swelling and pressure. But, im wondering if the baby shampoo and manuka honey would be harmful to the L Sakei. ..... any thoughts on this? I'd hate to have my sinuses in a constant state of stalemate.....

2 more quick questions before im off to the gym (since starting the kimchi treatment I've been able to breathe and exercise 🙂 so im hopeful that itll help in the long run). In Amy of your families experiences with sinusitis have any of them experienced a white constant coating on their tongue that can sometimes turn yellow and sore while always being dry no matter how much water you drank? And did the roof of your mouths feel sore and look discolored? The soft palate at the back of the roof of my mouth has been sore and the actual roof of my mouth has been slightly orange (?) And with a whitish line or crack down the center. Its kind of odd. I thought it was fungal but it hasn't responded to any antifungal treatment. Are these side effects of sinusitis? Sorry for so many questions, im need to sinus issues..... oh and does post nasal drip cause swollen tonsils? They have not been normal for about a year since I started having these issues....

I'm glad to hear that the Farmhouse kimchi is working. What kind exactly is it?
Regarding baby shampoo and manuka honey - if they are antimicrobial or antibacterial, then they may have a negative effect on L. sakei.
One study I just looked in the American Journal of Rhinology said that some of the ingredients in baby shampoo are antimicrobial (thus antibacterial), that it has some effect in preventing future biofilms, but that it was ineffective in breaking up biofilms. I personally would be very cautious about adding anything to a nasal rinse that is not found normally in the sinuses.
In chronic sinusitis the microbial community is unbalanced (dysbiosis) so I would make every effort to improve the microbial community - hopefully the L. sakei will dominate over other microbes in the sinuses.
The experience of myself, family members. and others writing to me is that L. sakei (whether in kimchi, Bactoferm R-FM-52) improves and treats all symptoms, including the postnasal drip, coughing from postnasal drip, aching teeth, and constant sore throats that occur in chronic sinusitis.
I'm not exactly sure what you mean about the roof of your mouth being orange - it'll be great if that also improves.

Its a vegan organic kimchi made from cabbage and radishes in mild wasabi, I was afraid to use it at first because of the wasabi but it hasn't hurt one bit and I have stopped the nasal rinsing and I am only doing the kimchi now to focus on rebuilding my nasal microbiome. And, yeah, the roof of my mouth is a pale color compared to the rest of my mouth and my tongue is funky, my doctor swears its gunk build up from being congested and the post nasal drip so im hoping that it clears up once I recover even more. So far im enjoying this kimchi treatment and curious about the meat curing powder.

Glad that it's going well.
Just wanted to add that in the first year all 4 of us still used a regular saline rinse daily (either before doing a kimchi treatment or several hours after), and by the second year most of us had stopped all saline rinses because they were not needed. We also wondered what they did to the sinus microbiome. But we never added any extra ingredients (such as honey, baby shampoo, etc) that are not found in the sinuses.

I bought a jar of live kimchi from the co-op today. It was ridiculous, being $12 for a tiny jar. Whatever, I have a whole head of cabbage I got for $1.50 so I will be using it as a starter. I would have went to the asian store for a better deal but the traffic was horrendous, so now I have a trendy little jar of boutique kimchi that is not really very good.

I am going to try it! (I had to put that in writing to strengthen my resolve.)

I will everyone here know how it goes. I plan on using the neti bulb. My frontal sinus (behind forehead) is so loaded with solid yellow gunk after spending too much time around turpentine. I think the turps killed off all the bacteria in my sinus.

Good luck! Since it is unknown whether the kimchi jar contains L. sakei, I would suggest being more cautious and just dab/smear some kimchi juice in the nostrils (like a "very messy eater"). Also, this way any spices do not go up the nostrils.

Well, I did it. I filtered the kimchi juice through a coffee filter and put about 10mL in the neti bulb. Some of the spice survived the filtering process and it was a bit hot, but bearable. So far things are feeling a bit better, but I think I will need to do more work. Next time I take a shower, I am going to invert my head and force this up into the frontal sinus. I will try to get a minute-long dwell time.

Thanks for introducing me to a new paradigm. The last few months were all about "kill, kill, kill", and I put alot of antifungals up my nose. Looking back, I can see how many of these things were also antibiotic: colloidal silver, GSE, oregano oil, ect. The germ paradigm is pervasive in this society, and causes untold suffering with the misuse of antibiotics.

I will get a korean jar of kimchi later this week and use that too. Maybe I will load up my spray bottle with this stuff as well.

Hi Sima, I am taking strong probiotics containing all the recommended strains from your site twice a day. I have now started the B-2 culture for last two days (1 time per day) and this morning woke up with strange small bumps (almost boils) which are itchy at various places all over my body. I never had skin problems before so I can only put this down to the B-2. Did I do too much? I did recommended dose? I am going to stop for few days, but want to know if anyone else had this experience? Thank you

Oh no! Perhaps an allergic reaction? Or is it a coincidence? You are the first person to have reported such a reaction. If it's a reaction to probiotics, then which ones? Could it be from trying both B-2 and the multistrain probiotic all at once? What about the other ingredients added to the multistrain probiotic supplement?
We (and people writing in) typically just try a L. sakei product alone and see how it goes - because that may be enough.
So yes, definitely stop all probiotics, including B-2.
Hope you feel better soon.

I think so too, allergic reaction to combination of both or just the B-2. The probiotics I am taking is from Douglas Laboratories - Multi Probiotics 4000. apart of different bacteria strains it has gelatin, silica, cellulose, vegetable stearate, inner bark and fructooligosaccharides.
The rash is coming down now so hopefully ok. May have to stick to Kimchi only from now on, I haven't give it a chance, and went straight to B-2.
thank you

Glad to hear that you're better. Sounds like an allergic reaction. Maybe it was trying everything at once.
I wonder though if it's the inner bark or "ulmus fulva" (slippery elm) in the Douglas Labs probiotic (I checked the web-site). That can cause allergic skin reactions:"Slippery elm is POSSIBLY SAFE for most people when taken by mouth. When applied to the skin, some people can have an allergic reactions and skin irritation." (webmd.com)
We are very cautious - try one product at a time. And when we want to be extra cautious - we just gargle/swish around in the mouth the bacteria/water mixture, and then spit out.

Found a Dutch supplier of a starter culture that seems similar to the F-RM-52. The brand is 'Van Hees' and it contains L. Sakei and Staphylococcus Conosis. Besides that, it contains saccharose, probably nothing to worry about. It's sold by http://www.vuurenrook.nl. They ship to multiple European countries.

Cannot say much about the effect yet as my package didn't arrive yet; I will keep you guys posted.

After being fed multiple antibiotics and steroids, I hope this will do the trick.

Unfortunately my sausage starter F-RM-52 proved not very effective. When I mix it up with a probiotic powder containing several Lactobacilus species, I feel some temporary relief. But no cure.

Maybe the culture is not alive anymore, or it just doesn't work with me. BTW, my sinusitis is dry; I hardly have mucus. A scan shows only some inflammation in the jaw, but not in the head where I experience all the problems.
Still have some home made kimchi in the fridge, think I will give it a try. No idea whether or not it contains L. Sakei. Fingers crossed.

I personally might try only one or the other product for a few days, especially because you say you feel some temporary relief. The various products combined together might be canceling each other out when used at the same time or same day. One may be effective and not the other.
Some bacteria species in multistrain probiotics may not work well in someone with sinusitis (e.g., Streptococcus salivarius or BLISK12).
We just don't know....

Hi thankyou for all your coments i m at miserable condition post nasal drip for many years and fond these site very use full then i start with kimchi and i feel much beter, for now i would like to by r-m 52 in german, coul you please inform me any body that are selling it in German i all ready try one, but they do not sell ou side the country i m living in Portugal. Regards Nilo Silva

I would look at the post The One Probiotic That treats Sinusitis and the comments after it for possible products to try (some are similar to Bactoferm F-RM-52) and just go down the list. Some suppliers are mentioned, and some ship to Portugal (but get quick shipping). The best is trying suppliers of sausage making starter cultures - after all, a number of them are made right there in Europe.

first thank u for all that huge effort ,,
i read most of your posts on sunusitis ,, i so admired of bactoferm because of so effective وو and rich resource of l.sakei
i tried to buy it from sausagemaker.com ,, but they stole 21$ from my card without any data or innvoice or anything

i read that bactoferm can put outside fridge and still be effective but more than that l.sakei will die ,, so i use services like dhl ,, fedex ,, they delivered to egypt in just 2 days

the question here ,, how can i get bactoferm ??
not in amazon and other resources may be thieves like sausagemaker.com

One can try to make kimchi at home (but it may or may not contain L. sakei). The garlic in kimchi, as well as some other ingredients (but not cabbage) is linked to Lactobacillus sakei growth. One recipe that seems similar to the vegan kimchi I buy in the store is http://www.thekitchn.com/how-to-make-easy-kimchi-at-home-189390 Just use water in place of the optional seafood flavor.

hi sima ,,
in the starting i want to says "happy a new nice year and merry christmas for u and yours family"
,, second u told me to make my own kimchi ,, i done that and let it 2 days out fridge to start fermentation thus put in the fridge for 2 weeks "to get l.sakei"
i prepared 4 jars
the first to open is damaged "white layer" thus i threw it
and use the second jar and this is second day to use

my problem in sinuse is sinuse headache expically in my eyes
so bad one

in your experiment ,, u thought that this fermented kimchi make my head a clear or this for other only sinuse problems

Do not use anything that made you feel worse! One never knows if a kimchi batch has beneficial L. sakei in it or not. It sounds like that one does not have any.
I've never heard of anyone having a headache from using kimchi like a "messy eater" - typically if there is noL. sakei in it then don't have any effect at all or maybe feel a little "phlegmy" or "mucusy".
Hope you feel better soon.

my dear sima ,,,
may be i express what i want to say in a wrong way ,, i didnot mean that kimchi cause headache ,, headache is my big problem before kimchi before anything ,, and i know that i have sinuse problem which cause that ,, well ,, but i noticed that most of people here even your problem which treated by kimchi is many sinuse problems ,, in my case i havenot many problem except big one which is headache ,, so i made kimchi ,, and i threw a bad one ,, not use it ever ,, and start using a good one ,, my question to u from your experience with sinuse problems like headache and fog in eyes not clear head ,, is kimchi helps u with this ,, or u didnot suffer from headache in yours previous sinuse problem???

If the headaches are caused by sinusitis, then yes - Lactobacillus sakei products, including kimchi, may help.
Not everyone is helped by L. sakei for sinusitis symptoms (including headaches), but based on my family's and reader responses - most are helped. Only self-experimentation can answer that question.
But remember, not all batches of kimchi contain L. sakei. And if something makes you feel worse, then don't do it any more.

After being a chronic sinus sufferer for over 15 years (sinus surgery 5 years ago) and suffering from multiple sinus infections annually, I want to stand on the rooftops and shout to all sufferers to read this website. I am not new to self-experimentation and have administered many homemade saline rinse concoctions including Alkalol, Baby Shampoo, Manuka Honey, Essential Oils, and more – all with ZERO success. Thank you LactoBacto for making this information public – I only wish I had found this sooner. You see, I was recently diagnosed with an extremely rare and degenerative autoimmune disease known as Relapsing Polychondritis (known as RP). There is a link between autoimmune disease, gut flora, and in my case - the rampant use of antibiotics to treat sinus infections. I am so excited to have a holistic treatment option for my sinusitis in order to protect my gut flora and ultimately start feeling better!

Here’s my recent experience with Bactoferm. Last Monday, I came down with a very rapid and extreme sinus infection (fever, lost voice, cough, mucus, etc.) and I’m ecstatic to report that for the first time EVER, I’ve beaten an infection using only this method, completely without medications, and all within just 1 week! I just can’t continue to destroy my gut flora every 4 months only to keep destroying the good bacteria that should be helping with disease recovery.
Just last Thursday, my new ENT scoped me and of course I exhibited a full-blown, rampant infection. I also asked if he would take a culture of my nasal mucosa so I could research the genus and species of the culprit pathogen. My cultured pathogen species was determined to be Moraxella Catarrhalis, a common sinus bacteria found in all of us as children, but it mostly disappears as we become adults – but not for me, unfortunately.

To counteract the effects of M. Catarrhalis, I ordered the first sample of my new missing friend L. Sakei, (BactoFerm). After an overnight order, I mixed this culture with distilled water and applied it directly inside my nose/sinuses. Upon going to bed miserable with the infection, I awoke the next morning with my voice mostly restored, cough diminished, and far less crud than I’ve ever had at this early stage - at least 75% of symptoms disappeared during the first night alone!

I’ve continued this regimen (1 application just before bed) for 4 more days and visited the ENT again the following Tuesday. He asked how the topical antibiotic he prescribed was working and before I answered, I asked for him to scope me again. No inflammation, some clear mucus – overall, the sinus passage ways looked mostly back to normal. I handed him the medical study on this and told him I didn’t touch the topical antibiotic, and instead used a bacteria culture described in this research. He just said, “Keep doing whatever you’re doing - because it’s working”! Note – if you suffer from chronic sinusitis, I recommend you have your next infection cultured in order to determine your pathogen type – i.e. virus, fungi, MRSA, etc. and may require a different course of action. Additionally, I’ve been on a strict diet (no sugar, gluten, corn, alcohol, caffeine) to control my disease + I’m sure also having open sinus passage ways from surgery helped the above results.

Great to hear. The interesting part is that research finds L. sakei to also be anti-fungal against certain fungi - so the beneficial effects may be more far-reaching than we now know. I also suspect L. sakei is anti-biofilm.

I still get a sinus infection 2-3x per year, but have had success with Bactoferm each time. Amazon (USA) now sells a product: Pure L. Sakei Probiotic Powder 10 Billion+ CFU/gm aka Nasobiotex that I will be trying next. The reviews look promising as well.

Oh - and have since discovered that my autoimmune condition was caused by Lyme Disease (tick bite in 2014). Never took antibiotics for that and have been treating with MesoColloidal Silver & Gold for 6 mos. Another miracle! Be well!

I have had success in solving my decades-old gut problems and I am trying to use your method to solve my (also decades old) post-nasal drip. In my experience, which I have tried to make more systematic, the crucial step is removal of bio-film. Until that happens, nothing permanent happens.

In my case I used twice weekly natto meals, which continue, and intermittent fasting coupled with a lower carb diet, since many of these bacteria are obligate sugar eaters. I will probably be able to do a 5-day fasting next week (my first, so far only 3 days or shorter) and see if my sinuses reacts to it. I credit also bone broth for healing what must have been an inflamed lining, elimination of sugar, near elimination of alcohol, wheat and dairy, and strong reduction of coffee.

Among the many probiotics I have tried, my impression is that preserved lemons and kefir were the most impactful at changing my gut. I also ate the mother of apple cider vinegar made with lactic fermentation (good and immediate effect, but not permanent) and acetic fermentation (terrible). In the last six months I have taken to spray myself with probiotics after a shower (being an experienced fermenter, I have lots of probiotic liquids around. For this I use the liquid of preserved olives).

Anyhow my sinuses had improved even before I embarked in this, and it is only the left one which has what feels like a bio-film. I vividly remember when I was 8 years old, in the middle of a terrible cold, blowing my nose and expelling, together with a lot of mucus, a strange creature, the size of a chickpea, which I now know must have been biofilm. The left side of my face developed less in my youth and there is less space for stuff to go in and out, so if a little ball of bio-film is in there I had to dissolve it first.

I started with nasal irrigations with saline plus some serrapeptase which I got from breaking a capsule (one capsule for 6 irrigations), and I had a strong reaction twice. I assume that, as you release all those bacteria from the film, your body is dealing with a large bacterial load. Either way, after a few applications I sense a change in that sinus. Concomitantly, I tried the juice of two different sauerkrauts (cabbage and lemon-beet-pineapple-carrot) and pickled garlic scapes (these are from last year, so a 9 month old pickle), no effect. The juice of kimchi I tried, but it contains too much capsaicin from the pepper and led to inflammation and substantial bleeding even at half a table spoon per neti pot.

My L. sakei arrives tomorrow and will substitute all these juices and hopefully be successful. I will stick to alternate serrapeptase and sakei irrigations, perhaps helped by internal garlic, natto and serrapeptase intake. I may try pineapple based fermenting liquids too. I will report.

Please be careful with serrapeptase - it might interfere with blood clotting, and should not be used with any medications that slow blood clotting.
Kimchi juice should only be dabbed/smeared a little bit into the nostrils.
A number of Lactobacillus species are considered "anti-pathogenic and anti-biofilm".
More on biofilms in sinuses (which are in both healthy and sick people)- here, here, and here.

The enzyme Serrapeptase will not interfere with blood clotting. It breaks down excess (dead) blood clots, scar tissue, fibrin and mucus. The other enzyme Nattokinase, however, is a natural blood thinner. Serrapeptase, bromelain, and NAC are all great for sinus health.

I’m so glad I found your website. I’ve been suffering sinus problems for over a year now and I can’t get hold of the bactoferm starter culture in the UK. I found LS 25 Starter culture in the UK which supposedly has L.Sakei but could you/how do I confirm it is ok to use? I read this article form ncbi.nlm.nih.gov which states L.sakei is present within as the online store don’t give specifics on what cultures are within the LS 25 Starter Culture they sell.

I would look at the post The One Probiotic That Treats Sinusitis for more information about LS 25 - full name is BITEC STARTER LS 25 (also called BITEC LS-25). Trying it is self-experimentation - results can be good, negative, or no effect at all.
The most cautious approach is trying kimchi - using it like a "messy eater" (think how a toddler gets a little food into the nostrils). Unfortunately one doesn't know if the jar contains L. sakei until one tries it.
By the way, there are over 230 different strains of L.sakei isolated from meat, seafood, or vegetables from all over the world.

The Kimchi is helping. I have polyps and severely swollen sinus tissue, so it is coming along, probably slower than your experience. It has been 8 Days. My asthma is better and I am sleeping better. I have read that tea tree oil will reduce polyps. Have you heard that? Any word on if that works? Thank you for this life saving site. Thank you.

Thanks so much for this website! I bought the Sunja mild kimchi. You say to use it when it has fermented 2 weeks from when made. How do I know when it was made? The date stamped on the top of the jar is 6 months and 2 days from the date I bought it.

It sounds pretty fresh. Only self-experimentation would tell you if it has L. sakei in it at this point. Some kimchi brands already have it before 2 weeks from production, but it always takes at least a few days.

I purchased the Farmhouse brand Kimchi yesterday and used it twice yesterday. I woke up with pink eye this morning! I also wouldn’t say I noticed any improvement in sinus symptoms...maybe even feeling a little more inflamed. Thoughts?

The kimchi shouldn't have anything to do with pinkeye if you used it as a messy eater (think of how toddlers eat and get food all over their face and into the nose, etc). It sounds like the kimchi did not contain L. sakei though, if you don't feel better today. If you feel worse trying any product, please do not use it anymore.

The post The One Probiotic That Treats Sinusitis mentions various products (kimchi, various starter cultures) that contain L. sakei in them that are available in Europe. Lacto Health also ships its pure L. sakei product (Lacto Sinus) to the UK.

Hi, I stumbled upon your website after reading Chris Kresser's article about sinus infections and I have got to try this to see if it works. I've had recurring sinus infections and have gone through way too many courses of antibiotics and I'm so sick of it. I'm going to try the Kimchi today but I want to ask: Have you ever tried taking the Lanto Sinus powder, mixing it with water and using it in a nasal sprayer? It seems like that would work great, but I want to get your take on it.
Thanks, Zane

I have never used Lanto Sinus (mixed with water) in a nasal syringe or neti pot. In my opinion, that sends way too much bacteria up into the sinuses. I've only tried what I describe under Refrigerated Probiotic Treatment Method in the Sinusitis Treatment Summary page. This is all self-experimentation to see what works best.
I prefer to be cautious and to only use as much as is needed.
Kimchi can only be dabbed/smeared in the nostrils as a very messy eater (think of a toddler) - the L. sakei bacteria travel to the sinuses on their own. Kimchi should not be sprayed into the sinuses. Again, this is self experimentation.

I am in Canada and have used the bactoferm FRM-52 sausage starter from Chr. Hansen in the past, and had good results. However a new batch I just bought has a warning label that it contains *manganese sulfate monohydrate*, which "can cause serious damage to organs with prolonged or repeated use". I have just seen this today and have not contacted the manufacturer or distributor yet to find out if this is a new ingredient or was always in the product. I believe it is a fertilizer.
Here is the warning:http://www.inchem.org/documents/icsc/icsc/eics0290.htm
Anybody can comment if we should be concerned and no longer use this product to treat sinus? I was using a little of the powder dissolved in distilled water on a Q tip in nasal cavity.
Thanks for your great site and helpful info Sima!

I understand your concern. But Chr.Hansen has long had that ingredient (a form of manganese - which is a essential nutrient) in very tiny amounts in the product. (WebMD's comments about the ingredient)

Inhaling large amounts of that 1 ingredient for long periods of time would be "likely unsafe" (according to WebMD), but that is not the case here.
Tiny amounts of Bactoferm FRM-52 are mixed with water - which is also how it is used as a sausage starter culture when making sausages. If you buy artisanal sausages,they may say "lactic acid bacteria" in the ingredients - that could be it!
Always only use the product mixed with water. It's all self-experimentation.